Brush cleaner



Nov. 16, 1965 R. D. HULL ETAL 3,217,349

BRUSH CLEANER Filed Nov. 24, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Fijn A f`2l :i ...una

fer/*y /7///// INVENTOR;

ATTOP/VEV Nov. 16, 1965 R. D. HULL ETAL 3,217,349

BRUSH CLEANER Filed Nov. 24, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,217,349 y BRUSH CLEANER R. Dell Hull, 3110 E. 33rd St.; Roy L. Hull, 3551 S. Toledo Place; and Jerry R. Hull, 3116 E. 33rd St., all of Tulsa, Okla.

Filed Nov. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 413,557 9 Claims. (Cl. 315-311) This invention relates to a -mechanical brush cleaner, and particularly to a cleaner for the removal of hair from hair brushes.

By reason of the requirements of the sanitary codes in most cities, hair brushes used in commercial beauty and barber shops must be cleaned and sanitized after each use. This necessarily requires the removal from each brush of the hair which accumulates therein and this is a tedious and unpleasant operation.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a form of mechanical brush cleaner which is rapid and highly efficient yfor purposes of cleaning the hair from a brush.

An important object is to provide an improved form of mechanical brush cleaner using power-driven combs operable at high speed to remove the hair collected in the bristles of the brush, and which at the same time, provides means for extracting the hair removed by the combs from the latter, so that the combs will continuously Vpresent relatively clean fingers or hair-collecting surfaces to the bristles of the brush.

A more specific object is the provision in a device of the character described of an improved form of comb for removing accumulated hair from the bristles of the brush to be cleaned.

A further specific object is to provide a form of comb means employing a plurality of comb segments arranged in angularly spaced and relatively inclined relationship to each other to provide maximum v4brush cleaning efficiency.

Other and more specific objects and advantages of this invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which illustrates a useful embodiment in accordance with this invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the exterior of the brush cleaner showing a brush positioned for introduction into the cleaning compartment;

FIG. 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the cleaner looking downwardly therein, with the cover portion of the housing removed;

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken generally along line 3 3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional View of a detail of the structure taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the comb elements of the device.

Referring to the drawing, the cleaner is enclosed within a housing, designated generally by the numeral 10, which includes a bottom wall 11 which may be mounted on -feet 12 adapted to rest on a supporting surface, such as a table or the like. Housing comprises two separate parallel compartments 13 and 14. Compartment 13, which may be referred to as the fan compartment, is defined by an outer end wall 15 and an inner end wall 16 parallel thereto and both extending transversely of bottom 11 to which they are fastened in any suitable manner.

The top of compartment 13 is enclosed by cover 17, which may be of arcuate shape as shown, and which is secured along its ends to the margins of end walls 15 and 16 and at its front and rear ends to bottom wall 11, forming therewith a more or less permanently enclosed compartment.

Compartment 14, which may be termed the cleaning compartment, is defined by an outer end wall 19 and an inner end wall 20 parallel thereto, both Walls 19 and 20 being parallel to walls 15 and 16 of the fan compartment. An arcuate cover 21 has its end margins suitably secured to the margins of end walls 19 and 20 and has its rearward end pivotally secured by means of hinges 22 to bottom wall 11, so that cover 21 together with end walls 19 and 20 may be swung about the rear edge of bottom wall 11 to open and close the cleaning compartment. The front portion of cover 21 has a generally rectangular opening 23 shaped and dimensioned to permit reciprocating movement therethrough of the brush B during the cleaning operation. Outer walls 15 and 19 are provided with a plurality of perforations 24 and 25, respectively, to allow flow of air therethrough. Inner wall 20 of compartment 14 has a relatively large opening 27 near one end thereof which is covered by a screen 28 providing passage for air through the screen. Inner end wall 16 of compartment 13 is provided with a generally circular opening 29 in substantial registration with screen-covered opening 27. A knob 30 is mounted on the forward portion of cover 21 by which the cover may be swung between closed and open positions, as indicated by the broken lines and arrows in FIG. 3. Outer wall 25 is provided near its lower edge with an upwardly extending slot 31 for receiving a clamping bolt 32 extending from outside Wall 19 into a clamping block, not shown, mounted on Ibottom 11 inside wall 19 to which the latter may be clamped to hold cover 21 closed, as seen in FIG. 1.

A shaft 33 extends transversely of compartment 14 forwardly of opening 27 and is journalled above bottom 11 in a bearing block 34 mounted on bottom 11 inside compartment 14 adjacent outer wall 19, the other end of shaft 33 extending through an arcuate slot 35 in wall 20 and passing into compartment 13, where it is journalled in a bearing 36 supported on a block 37 mounted on bottorn wall 11 in compartment 13. Arcuate slot 35 permits cover 21 to be closed and opened over shaft 33. A exible seal member 37a is mounted on Wall 20 to close slot 35 about shaft 33 to prevent passage of air through this opening when cover 21 is in the closed position. Mounted on shaft 33 for rotation therewith is a compound hub member, designated generally by the numeral 40. Hub member 40 comprises a three-part structure including a cylindrical center portion 41 and frusto-conical end portions 42, 43 tapering inwardly toward each other With their smaller diameter ends disposed in abutting relation to the ends of cylindrical hub portion 41. As illustrated, the three hub portions are machined from a single block of material and the hub member is affixed to sha-ft 33 by means of a set screw 44. It will be understood that the hub portions may be separately formed, if desired. The slope of hub portions 42 and 43 will be made to define an angle of about 60 with respect to the base on the larger diameter ends thereof. Each hub portion has mounted therein a pair of diametrically spaced comb elements, each designated generally by the numeral 45. The pairs of comb elements mounted on each hub portion being angularly oriented with respect to lthose on the other hub portions, the angular spacing being on 60 centers. It will be understood that more than two comb elements may be mounted on each hub portion and the spacing between the comb elements changed accordingly.

As best seen in FIG. 5, each of the comb elements 45 comprises a flat mounting block or support member 46 in which are mounted a plurality of parallel spring-like fingers 47 constructed of metal or suitably strong plastic material. The free ends of the fingers are bent at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the fingers to provide the angularly directed tips 48. The comb elements are mounted in the respective hub sections by inserting the mounting blocks 46 in suitable slots 49 (FlG. 2) cut into the exterior, surfaces `of the hub sections. The blocks are clamped in the slots to retain them therein by means of set screws 50. The comb elements 45 mounted in each of the conical hub sections 42 and 43 are positioned therein at an angle to the aXis of these hub sections so that the comb members will incline inwardly toward the central hub section and the comb elements supported therein. By reason of the angular spacing between the several comb elements about the longitudinal axis of the hub member, the resultant effect of the angularly .inclined positions of the comb elements in hub sections 42 and 43 will be to cause the latter to extend into or overlap the path of rotation of the comb elements carried by the central hub section, as best seen in FIG. 2. Also, it will be seen that tips 48 of the fingers will all incline in the direction of rotation of the comb member, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 3. With the brush located below the path of rotation of the comb elements, this inclination of tips 48 will produce a lifting action on the hair caught between the brush bristles as the fingers pass through the bristles.

A pair of parallel laterally spaced guide rails Sli-*51 are mounted on the upper surface of bottom wall 11 generally opposite opening 23. The spacing between these guide rails will be such as to guidingly accommodate the width of the back of brush B and it will be understood that the spacing between the rails may be varied for diiterent width brushes. While there are no particular form of fastenings for the rails shown, it will be understood that any generally conventional construction may be used which will permit moving the rails toward and away from one another to change their spacing and to secure them in the desired spaced relation. A stop bar 52 is mounted on bottom 11 inwardly of the inner ends of rails 51 and transversely thereto to limit inward movement of brush B during the cleaning operation. It will be understood that stop member 52 also may be mounted by conventional means for Varying its position to accommodate brushes of different length.

Hub member 40, carrying comb elements 45, is rotated by a suitable power mechanism comprising an electrical motor S of conventional design, having a shaft 56 on which is mounted a spur gear 57 meshing with a larger diameter spur gear 58 suitably mounted on shaft 33. Mounted on the outboard end of shaft 55 and positioned generally Within opening 29 is a fan 59 having blades 6G driven by the motor in a direction to suck air from compartment 14 and discharge the same through compartment 13 and out openings 24. Thus, motor 55 will drive fan 60 and at the same time will drive the comb member at a different speed, depending upon the ratio as between gears 57 and 58. An electrical circuit indicated by the leads 61 is suitably connected to motor 55 and a conventional toggle switch 62 is mounted in end wall 15 and connected into the circuit including lead 61 to control the starting and stopping of motor 55.

Operation of the device is as follows: Motor 55 will be started thereby rotating the comb elements and fan 59. A brush, such as brush B, will then be manually inserted through opening 23 between rails 51 and moved back and forth beneath the comb elements, the movement of the brush being generally in the plane of rotation of the comb member. It will be understood that the vertical spacing between the comb member and the brush will be such that the path of rotation of the comb elements will carry the tips 48 of fingers 47 deeply through the bristles of the brush, the angular tips being effective to remove any hair entangled in the bristles. As the ends of the comb elements leave the bristles, the hair will be continuously pulled or blown off of the combs by the flow of air being drawn through compartment 14 by fan 59 and will be deposited against the inner surface of screen 28 by the Current of air as it passes through the screen. 75

When the bristles of the brush have been sufciently cleaned, the motor will be stopped. After a number of brush cleanings, clamping nut 32. may be released, and cover 21 lifted, thereupon the operator may easily remove hair accumulated on the face of screen 28 and, if necessary, remove any hair remaining on the comb elements.

By reason of the overlapping relation of the comb elements, as described, these will be highly effective in combing through the entire area occupied by the bristles of the brush and will thus be effective to remove all hair which may be clinging to the bristles.

The structure herein described is very efficient and usually requires only one or two passes of the brush beneath the rapidly rotating comb elements to completely clean the brush of any hair collected therein, the removed hair being similarly continuously removed from the comb elements allowing them to continuously present clean tips to the bristles.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of the illustrative embodiment within the scope of the appended claims but without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A brush cleaner, comprising,

(a) a housing having a floor,

(b) a comb member rotatably mounted above the floor for combing engagement with the bristles of a brush disposed in the path of rotation of said comb member,

(c) said comb member including a rotatable shaft carrying a hub,

(d) a plurality of radially extending angularly spaced comb elements mounted in longitudinally spaced relation along said hub,

(e) the outermost comb elements on said hub being inclined inwardly into mutually overlapping relation with those located centrally of said hub,

(f) air-current generating means mounted in said housing to create flow of air across said comb elements in a direction to remove therefrom hair combed from said brush bristles, and

(g) power means drivingly connected to said shaft and to said air-current generating means.

2. A brush cleaner according to claim 1 wherein each comb element comprises a flat mounting block, a plurality of parallel comb ngers mounted in said block, the free ends of said fingers being bent to incline in the direction of rotation of the comb member.

3. A brush cleaner according to claim 1 wherein said air-current generating means is a fan and wherein said power means is an electric motor.

4. A brush cleaner according to claim 1 wherein said housing includes a cover section hingedly connected at one side to said oor and shaped to enclose said comb member.

5. A brush cleaner according to claim 1 having guide means positioned on said floor beneath said comb member for guiding a brush longitudinally of the path of rotation of said comb member.

6. A brush cleaner, comprising,

(a) a housing having a oor,

(b) a power driven comb member rotatably mounted above the floor for combing engagement with the bristles of a brush disposed in the path of rotation of sa-id comb member,

(c) said comb member including a rotatable shaft,

(d) a hub member mounted about the shaft,

(e) said hub member comprising a central cylindrical section and coaxial truste-conical end sections having their smaller ends abutting the opposite ends of said central section,

(f) a pair of radially projecting diametrically spaced comb elements mounted on each of said hub sections,

(g) said pairs of comb elements being symmetrically angularly oriented with respect to each other about said hub member,

(h) the pairs of comb elements on said end sections being inclined inwardly into mutually overlapping relation with `the comb elements mounted on said central section, and

(i) means mounted in said housing to create a current of air across said comb member in a direction to eiect continuous removal from said comb elements of hair Icombed from said brush bristles.

7. A brush cleaner according to claim 6 wherein each of said comb elements comprises a flat mounting block, a plurality of parallel comb iingers mounted in said block, the free ends of said fingers being bent to incline in the direction of rotation of the comb member.

8. A brush cleaner, comprising,

(a) a housing having a iioor,

(b) a comb member rotatably mounted above the floor for combing engagement with the bristles of a brush disposed in the path of rotation of said comb member,

(c) said comb member including a rotatable shaft,

(d) a hub member mounted about the shaft,

(e) said hub member comprising a central cylindrical section and coaxial frusto-conical end sections hav ing their smaller ends abutting the opposite ends of said central section,

(f) a pair of radially projecting diametrically spaced comb elements mounted on each of said hub sections,

(g) said pairs of comb elements being symmetrically angularly oriented with respect to each other about said hub member,

(h) the pairs of comb elements on said end sections being inclined inwardly into mutually overlapping relation with the comb elements mounted on said central section,

(i) fan means mounted in said housing to create a current of air across said comb member in a direction to effect continuous removal from said comb element of haid combed from said brush bristles, and

(j) electric motor drivingly connected to both said shaft and said fan means.

9. A brush cleaner according to claim 8 wherein said housing comprises a fixed section enclosing Said electric motor and said fan means, and a cover section hingedly connected at one side to said iioor and shaped to enclose said comb member, said cover section including inner and outer end walls having openings therein, the opening in said inner end wall providing communication between the Iinteriors of said cover and fixed sections, and a screen disposed between said sections in the path of flow of said air current from said cover section toward said fixed section.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,072,939 l/l963 Rehberg 15-38 CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner. 

1. A BRUSH CLEANER, COMPRISING, (A) A HOUSING HAVING A FLOOR, (B) A COMB MEMBER ROTATABLY MOUNTED ABOVE THE FLOOR FOR COMBING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BRISTLES OF A BRUSH DISPOSED IN THE PATH OF ROTATION OF SAID COMB MEMBER, (C) SAID COMB MEMBER INCLUDING A ROTATABLE SHAFT CARRYING A HUB, (D) A PLURALITY OF RADIALLY EXTENDING ANGULARLY SPACED COMB ELEMENTS MOUNTED IN LONGITUDINALLY SPACED RELATION ALONG SAID HUB, (E) THE OUTERMOST COMB ELEMENTS ON SAID HUB BEING INCLINED INWARDLY INTO MUTUALLY OVERLAPPING RELATION WITH THOSE LOCATED CENTRALLY OF SAID HUB, (F) AIR-CURRENT GENERATING MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING TO CREATE FLOW OF AIR ACROSS SAID COMB ELEMENTS IN A DIRECTION TO REMOVE THEREFROM HAIR COMBED FROM SAID BRUSH BRISTLES, AND (G) POWER MEANS DRIVINGLY CONNECTED TO SAID SHAFT AND TO SAID AIR-CURRENT GENERATING MEANS. 